Resting Place

2007-01-15T15:30:00.000-08:00

It's been a month since my last post but I have been writing. Been reading through the book of Habakkuk and it's been quite enriching in my view of God's justice, but it is a hard book to write about so my next proper post will probably be a large one.

I came across this article which I found interesting, it's about churches joining the cause of lowering greenhouse gas emission levels with the science community.

It's a delicate balance in a way, when does the church's involvement in an issue become more than us being light in this world and instead portraying us as a political force?

I guess it's a question of church leadership, some churches do not really get involved in their members lives, adopting a "we teach, you live" philosophy while some form close communities that encourage members to adopt values and sometimes even lifestyles

I sometimes wonder what the role of the church is in a Christian's life, since it is often a dividing line between denominations and churches and it shouldn't be.

Can leaders of the Christ learn to be strong Christians, to be true light of the world and to be filled with the Holy Spirit and the knowledge of God's love? And will the church become a place of true worship, worship that is not just comfortable to us but be pleasing to God?

I guess I can start by praying for it...

2007-01-05T05:30:00.000-08:00

Habakkuk
Do we ever ask the big questions in life? The ones that go beyond who we're going to be with on Saturday night, what the next fad we're going to indulge in, questions that puts us on the spot. Questions that concern the world's people, it's comings and goings, and questions about justice.

It's been a while since I asked myself about justice, so when I started reading Habakkuk, it was a time of reminders about the deeper side of calling myself a Christitan.

Do we love God enough to love justice?

That was the first question I asked myself as Habakkuk complains to God:

"Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
There is strife, and conflict abounds"

There is a saying that "charity is easy, justice is a lot harder", and that may be true for me. I find it quite easy to smile and be nice, or even to give to others (preferably visibly and with tax deductions) but when it comes to pursuing justice the way God has intended it, it becomes a much higher wall to climb.

It's a real test of our maturity as Christians to be think beyond our own needs and wants to God's desire and we can be sure that throughout the Bible, God makes his desires for justice clear. One verse that is quite clear is found in Deuteronomy 16:20

"Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you"

Concerning Habakkuk's complaints the Lord decides to reveal the nature of His justice, one that is both beyond understanding yet ultimately consistent with his nature. Why does God allow injustice in the world? I think it's such that we may be saved. In chapter 2 God replies with words of assurance that he is in control and he prevails over injustice though it may seem to conquer.

"Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald may run with it.
For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
It will certainly come and will not delay

See, he is puffed up;
his desires are not upright---
but the righteous will live by his faith "

We can see in God's reply to Habakkuk that there is a distinct difference between God ignoring injustice and being faithful to his timing. Indeed he is so meticulous in his details that he challenges us to write it down and so that it is not merely spoken words but permanently set in stone.
And God does not ignore injustice at all, if anything, he lists from v9 - 19 those who have been unjust and how they will be dealt with.

Habakkuk ends the book with a prayer citing her decision to wait on the Lord and his justice.

"I heard and my heart pounded,
my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
and my legs trembled.
Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity
to come on the nation invading us.

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments."

Let that be our prayer too and our live, forever waiting on the Lord until his justice arrives and to adopt his sense of justice for ourselves.

Categories: Thoughts, Habakkuk

2006-12-17T18:38:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 46
Why do people have idols? The message of God is after all one that saves and one that sets us free.

"Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden.
The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary.
They stoop and bow down together;
unable to rescue the burden, they themselves go off into captivity."

When we pick up idols, even when we are unaware of them, we become captivated by them. We become burdened by them and we may not even recognize it.
So how do we avoid this?

"Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth.
Even to your old age and grey hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."

God's character is constant, through Israel's history they have followed different idols, golden calves, Baal, Canaan's gods and in the Pharisees' case, even legalism and being religious became a burden and an idol, preventing them from recognizing and worshiping Jesus.

"Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels.
Remember the former things, those of long ago;

I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.

I say: My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.
From the east, I summon a bird of prey;
from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
what I have planned, that will I do.

Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are far from righteousness.
I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away;
and my salvation will not be delayed.
I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel. "

We must constantly remind ourselves who God is in our lives and always have him at the top. We chase things in life for His glory or for our own comfort but we must also be careful that we in turn do not become captivated by these things ourselves.

Categories: Isaiah, Thoughts

2006-12-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 45
Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker,
to him who is but a potsherd (a broken pottery fragment) among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,
'What are you making?'
Does your work say,
'He has no hands'?
Woe to him who says to his father,
'What have you begotten?'
or to his mother
'What have you brought to birth?'

(This happened to be a real conversation I had with a friend)
When you talk about becoming what the Lord wants you be, I guess it's normal to want to be the heroes like Abraham, Joseph, David. No one in their right minds would actually want to be the Judas', the Herod's or the "villains" in the Bible. Yet these people also played important roles in God's plan. So what if by obeying God you eventually turn out like those characters?

I think one of the key differences better those who seem to fall into the Lord's favour and those who end up disastrous is their heart for God. Those who chase after God may have blessings given to them and all that but they were not unlike the villains, with their weaknesses, their own sins and doubts and fears. But the reason they were able to overcome is because they trusted in the Lord and they chose God's way over their own shortcomings.

Are we becoming what God wants? Is there something we are afraid of giving up or maybe a decision we are afraid of making?

We may not be able to see or control the consequences of choosing God over the world but we can trust in God's character, his love for us and that he will never let us suffer on this earth without a reason.

Categories: Isaiah, Thoughts

2006-11-16T06:12:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 44
"This is what the Lord says --
Israel's King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;
apart from me there is no God.
Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people,
and what is yet to come -
yes, let him foretell what will come.
Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?
No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."

I think in a way God understands the difficulty in believing in some of the abstract concepts that are involved with Christianity. Things like pre-destiny, the Trinity...
But in this passage He gives us an account of the tangible things he has done through the nation of Israel, where the realities of His holiness, justice and love are very clear.

I wonder about our own lives, is one of the ways God is made known to people through what other people see in us? Such that when people are wondering about God, do they need to struggle through abstract concepts and beliefs? Or can they come to God simply through what they see He has done in our lives?

I pray that somehow, people will testify about us, about what God has done in our lives and how it has touched them somehow, even to find out more about this God.

Categories: Isaiah, Thoughts

2006-11-09T13:07:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 43
Something encouraging for everyone:

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
The flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour;
I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.
Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.
I will say to the north, "Give them up!" and the the south "Do not hold them back."
Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of th earth -
everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made."

This was spoken by God through Isaiah to the people of Israel, a nation whose homes have been destroyed and whose people have been scattered.
However, God reminds them that this is part of His great plan, that as long as they are His children they have nothing to fear.
Nothing, no matter good or bad will happens that is without purpose and we can see this through Israel's journey through history.

For us today, we are God's chosen people, we are His children. And we are watch over by the same God who brought Israel out of countless disasters.

In all of our strife and troubles, whenever we struggle with the world, ourselves, others, we can be assured that we as God's children will always have nothing to fear.

Categories: Isaiah, Thoughts

2006-11-02T03:46:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 42
"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I do;
I will not forsake them"

I consider these verses my life verses, a few verses that I have looked at about 2 years back and realize that has how God has brought me to where I am and that's how God will bring me to where He wants me to be.

I think if anyone takes the time to read through Isaiah, even if they struggle through some chapters, they will definitely enrich their view of who God really is. How He is more than just the Sunday School answers you listen to and regurgitate in some kind of weekly religious ritual but that He is really a God who treasures those He created. How He is a God who loves justice and how He is a God who goes through so much just to see us grow as his children and servants.

In a way when I drifted away from God 3 years ago after a decade of going to church, growing up in a Christian family and even serving in various ministries, God brought me back to the core of what Christianity is all about.

It's not about ministry, your life, or anything else but how you know God and how all the other things flows from that knowledge and that relationship.

I think that's where our faith grows, it's in the times and places where we can't see or can't figure out where life is taking us and we give it to God to lead us. We just surrender that to Him.

Categories: Isaiah,, Thoughts

2006-10-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 40

To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal? says the Holy One.
Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one,
and calls them each by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one ofthem is missing.

Sometimes we can dismiss these kind of words in the Bible simply because it doesn't give us a direct answer to our problems, it's not necessarily something we can read and say "yup that's what I have to do to be more Christian". But having a relationship with God is as much know Him as doing what He wants.
In this passage, we get a simple message, God is one who not only created this world, but knows it inside out. All the billions of billions of stars out there in the sky, He knows them each by name.

Why do you say, O Jacob.
and complain, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by My God?"

Do you ever feel like God is someone who just isn't there? You read about Him and you try to pray to Him but there's just no indications and you just get tired and frustrated with trying.

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of th ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary;
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength,
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Be glad, because despite our insecurities, our frustrations, our indifference, our impatience... God is not a God who gives up. He works in ways that we may never understand but we can always count on, we can always trust in.

This passage i think stresses the importance of knowing that all people fail and stumble sometimes (a lot of times for many of us) but the important thing is to have our hope in the Lord.

Categories: Isaiah,, thoughts

2006-10-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 35
"Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;
say to those with fearful hearts,
Be strong, do not fear; your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution he will come to save you.

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackels once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness.
The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord will return.
They will enter Zion with singing everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away"

Sometimes I think I underestimate God. I underestimate how powerful and wonderful he really is. I try to process him and fit him into what I'm comfortable with. But I'm beginning to realise that God is so much bigger than I will ever give him credit for. He restores all things, he makes all the wrongs right and he wants me to let him take over, not to take away my freedom, but so he can take me to places that I can never imagine or even dream about.

Categories: Thoughts

2006-09-18T03:37:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 27
"Sing about a fruitful vineyard
I, the Lord, watch over it;
I water it continually.
I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.
I am not angry.
If only there were briers and thorns confronting me!
I would march against them in battle;
I would set them all on fire.
Or else let them come and make peace with me,
yes, let them make peace with me."

When I read this passage, I couldn't help but smile, have a chuckle even and be glad that God is really someone who I can identify with not just a deity but a God with a character we can really begin to form a relationship with.
In this dialogue from God, I just see such a sense of loyalty, that God didn't create us as flawed beings and left us to suffer in this world, but He intended everything as it is. We are His creation, His vineyard and He guards us day and night, wanting us to be fruitful. His mercy and grace is also made clear in such a wonderful way, that yes God will burn those who oppose Him but His greater desire is to make peace with them.
I praise you Father because of your loyalty and your protectiveness of us!

Categories: Thoughts

2006-09-13T16:14:00.000-07:00

If we are not happy with the way life is going
How do we tell the difference between being uncontent or being in a state of mind where God is trying to change us?

Is it the reason we are unhappy? Or is it the source?

Categories: Questions

2006-08-28T01:24:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 17
"Yet some gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is beaten, leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches, four or five on the fruitful boughs,"
declares the Lord, the God of Israel.

These few verse stuck out for me because even in the context of God carrying out His judgement on the nations in the surrounding chapters and verses, there is continuation. Everything that happens in this world has a purpose, and we have to be sensitive to the Will of God. For myself, I pray that I will learn to trust that everything is in God's control. Not just to thank God blessings and opportunities but also to give thanks for closed doors and misfortunes, because these experiences are the refining fire that makes us worthy vessels and fruitful vines.

Categories: Thoughts

2006-08-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 11
"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord - and he will delight in the fear of the Lord"

When reading Isaiah, sometimes I forget the enormity of this book as a book of prophecy . Reading it now, we see its fulfillment in Jesus and can maybe even take that for granted, but imagine reading it then and the sense of hope it gives, that all of mankind's woes will be swept away. In fact all the world's troubles, shortcomings and will disappear and will become as the perfect place God had intended.

"The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest."

"They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea"

What can be our response to this? We now live in the end times, in full knowledge of Christ's second coming. People, now more than ever are trying to "fix" the world's problems through their own strengths and devices and even though we aren't directly affected, wars are still fought over things we sometimes don't understand. As Christians we need to recognise that Christ is our living hope and continue to live in a manner that is worthy of that hope. Does our lifestlye, our plans and our behaviour reflect this?

Also consider that while Isaiah was written, those who read it gain knowledge of this hope but while we read it we gain knowledge of its fulfillment in Christ.

Categories: Thoughts

2006-08-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 5
"I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard;
My loved on had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.
He dug it up and cleaered it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines.
He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well.
Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit."

A metaphor of God as a planter of vineyard, this passage speaks of the frustration of the Lord and all his efforts He placed on His nation Israel. I find it a very identifiable image, a person who gives his best to a cause, a pursuit or a person, only to find it not bearing the results he expected. Looking for good grapes but only finding bad fruit.
For God, He chose Israel as a nation, nutured it. Gave them victories in battle, led them to the best lands to settle down...
"The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress."

For us, we are God's chosen in this day and like Israel, God is constantly nuturing us, giving us blessings and trials in order to develop our character and faith. I pray that when the time comes for the harvest, we are able to present him with good fruit.

Categories: Thoughts

2006-07-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 1
"The multitude of your sacrifices - what are they to me?" says the Lord. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals"
"wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow."

God speaks to Israel as a frustrated teacher perhaps would speak to his student. Israel is seen to be a people who have missed the point of God's commands. Bogged down by a system of rituals and sacrifices, festivals and feasts, they have not seen the purpose behind the law. God instead calls them to cultivate justice, to become obedient to Him and His calling.
I wonder if we sometimes are missing the point of what we do? It's said that God hates cardboard...as in boxes, do we sometimes place God in boxes of our making, instead of letting Him command our lives?

Categories: Thoughts

2006-07-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

Titus 2
"You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because thay have nothing bad to say about us."

One of the things I've noticed about this passage is the emphasis on self control. It's one of the more obvious things as being a Christian but one that is a huge struggle. That our lives, although freed by Christ is also called to live in a way that is not in our nature anymore, but in a higher nature that is suitable to be God's people.

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself to us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."

I pray that we will continue to seek to do good in this world. Not to be content with the knowledge of God but to be able to carry His love and values into our own lives.

Categories: Thoughts

2006-07-04T03:47:00.000-07:00

Titus 1
"Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness - a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Saviour."

I often skim past Paul's introductions in his letters, but somehow the first few lines of Titus really grabbed me and I begin read into them a bit more deeply. To me the story of Paul is one that is inspiring not only because of how he was called, but how he set the example of Christlike endurance; and this introduction somehow explains abit about where he's coming from.
How we see ourselves as individuals will inherently dictate how we live our life out. For Paul, his identity lies solely in Christ and His message. The reason he gives for this is simply that "God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time". To me this is a great assurance especially since I am susceptible to placing hope in many things and I think this is true to anyone. We place our hopes on our education, our careers, our circumstances and almost any other thing to provide us with security, with purpose and with meaning. But often we find these things don't give us anything at all. Education is fleeting and incomplete, careers are at best uncertain and circumstances, although useful for a while, can hide deeper and more long-lasting implications.
For Paul, the realisation of his faith and knowledge came as he carried out God's will for him as a preacher. It was something that he came to know as he perservered in his walk and it was something he kept despite his circumstances, other people's opinions of him.
I pray that my life will be fixed on what God wants, to trust in His promises.

Categories: Thoughts

2006-07-03T01:38:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 4
"Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They wil turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardships, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."

It's true enough, when I think about it, to see that one of the reasons I don't say enough about Jesus to those I know is because there's so much else that can drown out the message of Christ. After I read this passage and then later at night listened to a the talk outlining the importance of knowing God's truth, I'm beginning to realise that I'm missing a crucial part in my own study of the Bible that is the connection of God's Word to my life.
I wonder if the quiet time I'm currently doing is often just a top up of spiritualism every morning, something inspirational to get by with? Have I conformed to the ways of the world by trying to incorporate God's Word as part of everything else in this "instant society"?
It was quite a sad sight when I was sitting in the year 12 and early uni student sunday school class and realise that no one in that room was interested in the applications of God's Word, no one could see beyond what was written on the piece of paper on which the study was printed and onto what God's Word meant to the way they lived.
Perhaps we've become a people who not only just hear what we want to hear but also a people who only say what we know people what to hear.
I pray for the courage and the discipline to be saturated in God's Word. Not to just read the Bible for inspiration but also to be able to use the Word in a deep and relevant way to win people for Christ.

Categories: Thoughts

2006-06-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 3
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God --- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."

This passage makes clear that God wants our undivided love for Him, that we should have no other love but God and His will. Could it be said that anything less could well be considered as falling short of what He saved us for? Looking at this list or any lists of "ungodliness", it's perhaps a harsh of this life that we will always be struggling against sin until the day we die. However, for Christians there is a hope that because of who we have faith in, we will be delivered from the ultimate consequences of our lost battles. Also, there is joy in knowing that we have a God who is willing to forgive us time and time again and to give us the will the change for Him.
I pray that we will continue to seek God's will in our life, to make that our goal in all that we do.

Categories: Thoughts

2006-06-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 2

"In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some are for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the master and prepared to do any good work."

As a "church kid" or someone who grew up in a Christian family, it's sometimes hard to grasp the concept of being "reborn" or to be made new simply because there was no incident where I cast aside everything to follow God. I think this has led to a different set of struggles in that I'm often too self-assured of my faith and perhaps know too much for my own good, not willing to seek new challenges and new revelations from God.
I pray that God will constantly challenge me to become more and more suited for His purposes. Perhaps being a Christian for so long also meant that I've become too comfortable and have lost the joy and the need to constantly let God mold and change me. I pray that for me and for everyone that we would be willing to allow God to cast aside things in our lives that are ignoble, even if it comes at our own cost.
For Christ has already paid the greatest cost of all and we can expect no less than to pay the same to be in fellowship with Him.

Categories: Thoughts

2006-06-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 1
"I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into the flame th gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of humility, but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline."

After going through the 2 books of Timothy, I've grown to understand Timothy as an identifiable young man of God who has the heart but sometimes not the confidence to give his all the God. In the 2 letters Paul writes to him, he often directly encourages Timothy to be bold in God inspite of his young age and apparent lack of experience. To me it's quite stirring to see Paul and God honour Timothy like that and also an example I think many youth (including myself) can learn. Before long we would all have more and more responsibilities that would take us away from God's service. Things like family and careers will eventually make it harder and harder for us to serve God self-sacrificially, even though Jesus tells us that we must put Him above even our own families.
I wonder at the benefits of our Asian upbringing, the speed and single-mindedness to progress from primary, high school, uni then our careers. How many of us actually consult God in what we should do after each season of our lives? Do we dare to heed God to make a choice for us in our lives?

Categories: Thoughts

2006-06-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

1 Timothy 5
I've always had trouble reading into passages in the Bible that deal with a different society, a different time in which we live in. But then again, in every society there are groups of people that have more needs than others and part of Jesus' ministry was also to tend to the needy. Sometimes we can all be living in such a sheltered environment at home or at work that we don't really see people in need or we don't recognise the signs.
Maybe the important thing is to remain compassionate and be ready to help those in need. Even if we don't know any that are immediately around us.

"The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgement ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden."

Categories: Thoughts

2006-06-12T17:48:00.000-07:00

1 Timothy 4
"For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer"

When I look at the world today and as I age, I begin to realise that the world is a much bigger place than I've always taken for granted. Of course, I'm plenty busy with study, work, planning a career, planning a life, relationships, entertainment and everything else, but if I slow down and have a look around, God has created an immensely diverse world. Although we only play a small part, it's always good to be aware of just how different people can be. And a lot these people do live outside our comfort zones of university campuses, churches and the office.

I once heard a testimony about a Malay guitarist who accepted Christ when, during a gig, he saw Jesus walk into the smokey pub he was playing in, wearing a Metallica t-shirt. Being a Malay, his Muslim family and community persecuted him for his beliefs but he still stands strong. I actually laughed when I first heard this but it's such a powerful example of how God does indeed use everything and anything to bring more of His children to Him. So how much more should be be accepting of things that are different to us, even when these things make us uncomfortable. And I'm not saying this is an excuse for us to be tolerant to sin, but we can't save sinners until we befriend them, we can't clean the dirty without touching them.

Categories: Thoughts

2006-06-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

1 Timothy 3
A chapter largely written about what deacons and "overseers" in a church should be, what we should look out for in one. ALthough it doesn't directly apply to everyone of us unless we use it as a criteria in our search for our church leaders but v14 was quite interesting:

"Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth."

From this I can't help but smile at the thought of the church being a "household" or a "family", it's almost like a mafia of faith. But in a way, it is a reminder that we as Christians are representatives of God in this world. And when we look at how the church is viewed today, it is a sad fact that a few bad Christians can be detrimental to the image of the church on a worldwide level and I don't think this just applies to the usual fingerpointing at paedophile priests, tele-evangelist and street corner doom preachers. Each Christian has the calling to reflect the character of Christ, it's quite cliche but we are the "Christ" that people see and in turn believe.
So everytime we don't display the fruit of the Spirit, we are being counter-productive to the message of grace and transformation Christ brings to us. So I guess we all need to pray hard and work hard on our own lives to ensure what we're perceived as is more than an empty faith.

Categories: Thoughts

2006-06-09T05:48:00.000-07:00

1 Timothy 2
"I urge, the, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and me, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men - the testimony given in its proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle - I am telling the truth, I am not lying - and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles"

Sometimes I wonder at the purpose of prayer in our walk with God, and even more so whether it actually plays any part in God's will and work in this world. Reading instances in the Bible where man actually conversed directly with the Creator always fills me with wonder. These days however, our prayers can sometimes seem so static, we pray alot and almost exclusively for exams, our jobs, our relationships, our wants and desires...
I don't quite know, but maybe as a Christian matures, prayer also changes into more than calling out to silence. Or maybe it's our perspective that changes, when we commit more and more to prayer, we also see more and more of how God answers them.
Either way, it's probably a matter of constantly praying and having faith in God to listen to them.

Categories: Thoughts

2006-06-07T02:31:00.000-07:00

1 Timothy 1
"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbleief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the fiath and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance; Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst"

I've always loved the way Paul 's strongest teachings always stem from his own experiences as a sinner and how Christ transformed him. While reading this I'm just reminded that the most powerful method of evangelism is probably the presence of a transformed life.
I realise that the milestones in my own Christian walk are always accompanied by people who have shared their lives and their stories with me. I think all Christians should have access to the kind o testimony Paul has, for indeed if we all believe we were saved from being the worst of sinners, the life we live after will just be that much more focused on spreading God's message of grace to the world.
But I guess with different Christians come different processes and timings. Paul was transformed completely while some of us take a lifetime so I'll pray that we are always aware and prayerful that God uses the weakest of us to show His strength.

Categories: Thoughts

2006-06-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

Galatians 6:1-5
"Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one shoudl test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load"

The thing that struck me about this morning's sermon is that in each of our cold and weary bodies is a God working on a plan to save the whole world. The law of Moses dictated that we need to be holy and set apart, but the law of Christ gives us the calling to get dirty, to carry our cross and if neccessary one and another's. Jesus Himself was known for touching the diseased and befriending the rejected.
It's a real challenge to know that that's basically who we as Christians aspire to, a leader who isn't afraid to ask us to suffer for him and to demand our all. But then again he's also the saviour who gave us all first.

Categories: Thoughts

2006-06-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

It's great to re read parts of the Bible and discover new relevance and meanings in it for life. For 1 Thessalonians, I remember that in yr12 we kind of breezed through this book simply because all the main points were pretty simple, endure in the name of the Lord and produce fruit for Him. But to actually apply this is a long and hard process. In chapter 5 v13 we are called to:
"Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone."

I started thinking about who are the idle, timid and weak among us and more importantly who are those called to warn, encourage and help them. But the thing is we all have moments of weakness when we do need help from each other. I think therefore it becomes our place as Brothers and Sisters in Christ to constantly be on the lookout for these people who do need support and be there for them. And to do that we must be available and willing to pray and sometimes have the courage to be honest in our words and actions.

Categories: Thoughts

2006-05-31T05:42:00.000-07:00

1 Thessalonians 4
"For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life" v7

For me the hardest part of being a Christian is probably the daily battles we have to fight against sinning, as supposed new creation, it always seems like we're failing ourselves and God when we do things that are not "godly".
I guess this verse is a reminder of our new place in life, when we became christians, we didn't just say the words and get a title, we start a life long process of transformation.

Categories: Thoughts